


The Prince and the Pauper

by KamikazeWorld



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Pauper Sora, Prince Vanitas, Royal guard Riku, Sora is a gay disaster, Sora just wanted to not be poor and now look what he's gotten himself into, The Prince and the Pauper AU, Vanitas is an absolute bastard and I love every second of it, so is Riku, y'all see where this is going right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26729989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KamikazeWorld/pseuds/KamikazeWorld
Summary: You know how the story goes: Sora is an orphan street urchin only just scraping by, Vanitas is the kingdom's crown prince, and both share an uncanny physical resemblance to each other.When Vanitas convinces Sora that they should switch places after a chance meeting, so that he can get a much needed vacation from princely duties and his ever present royal guard, Sora really only agrees because he wants to try not living in poverty for a change. He has no idea what kind of a mess he really signed up for... And why is the prince's royal guard so pretty?!
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 76
Kudos: 149





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> WHATUP, I'm here to bring you a cheesy soriku AU! I posted this idea in some of my servers and the feedback was so positive and excited that I got inspired to start writing it for real! Thank you to everyone who showed support, and I hope you'll continue liking and supporting this story as I write it! <333

Vanitas would say he had quite a good life. He slept in the softest of bed, ate the finest of foods, and lived in the largest of spaces. He had people seeing to his every need, giving him any object his heart desired, and had his own lands for riding and hunting, should he wish to do so. He was feared and respected, and every word he said held power. Really, being a prince wasn’t so bad.

If only it wasn’t so damn _boring._

“Your Highness,” his royal guard said, voice tight with restrained frustration, “could you please focus on the task at hand? These documents need to be signed, as per His Majesty the King’s orders.”

Vanitas heaved a great, heavy sigh. He could think of a billion things he would rather be doing than whatever duties the old man shoved at him.

“Riku,” he grumbled to address his guard, never once looking up from the doodling he was doing with his quill. “Could you, for once in your miserable life, actually remove the stick shoved up your ass? Who cares if these papers get signed now or later? I sure don’t.”

As expected, following a routine as old as time with Vanitas and his royal guard and aide Riku, his guard stiffened further, with his back straight and fists clenched. Oh, he was angry now, that was great. He was much more fun when he was angry, Vanitas thought, much more loose with his tongue. He let a grin spread on his face.

“They were supposed to have been signed off a whole _week_ ago,” he bit out. “I know you’re allergic to actual work, but you could at least try for a change.”

Vanitas made a show of thinking about it, humming loudly, before he leaned back with his hands behind his head and said, “nah, think I’ll pass.” He wasn’t at all surprised when Riku groaned next to him, making his grin even wider. “Working hard is your thing, not mine. In fact, if you want these documents signed so badly, you could take over and do it yourself, couldn’t you?”

“Why are you like this? Really, what do I have to do to get you to actually work?”

“Beg on your knees,” was Vanitas’ instant response. Their eyes met for a moment, Riku’s narrowed in a glare, and Vanitas’ with a mischievous flare in them. Eventually, it was Riku who looked away first, sighing in defeat.

“You’re the worst prince to possibly have to work for, you know that?” he said. Vanitas just laughed, sharp and mean.

“Why, thank you, I do try.” He did a poor imitation of a proper bow just to rile Riku up further, before scooting his chair back and making for the door. He wasn’t surprised that Riku instantly followed him, demanding to know where he was going. “I’m bored,” he said in way of explanation. When Riku’s glare at the back of his head wouldn’t let up even a little, he added, “we’re going into town. And no, you can’t stop me.”

Indeed Riku couldn’t. He had been Prince Vanitas’ aide and personal guard for two years now, and there had been very few times he had managed to entirely outsmart or best Vanitas. It happened, on occasion, because Riku was smart, well read, strong and resourceful, which were all qualities to look for in a good aide, and it made Riku equally as frustrating as it made him entertaining. He kept up with Vanitas’ wit in ways few could, but he was also an absolute stick in the mud and refused to let Vanitas have his own fun without putting up a fight about it. Still, it did make for a great challenge, Vanitas supposed. Kept his mind sharp and all that. But right at the moment, he was so damn tired of both Riku and princely duties that he thought he could drop dead. He figured a trip to the town could clear his mind, provide some entertainment, and a good opportunity to get away from Riku’s constant hovering for a few hours.

When they got there, they were met by a large crowd of citizens going about their daily business. The best place to find entertainment, Vanitas figured, was probably the town square. There were several stalls placed all around it, where the farmers sold their crops and meats, the bakers sold their bread, and craftsmen sold their creations and trinkets. A small group of musicians stood near the fountain at the center and played a lively tune that some children were dancing and skipping around to. It was a perfectly busy day, which just so happened to be the perfect conditions for one to “get lost” in the crowd.

“What are we doing here, exactly?” Riku asked, wary as always in large crowds. Vanitas shrugged.

“Who knows. Hey, be a good little servant and get me some of those.” He nodded his head to a stall selling pastries, the smell coming from it sweet and delicious. Riku frowned.

“I’m your guard, not your servant.”

“And I’m your prince, and if I want pastries, you get me pastries. Now get to it, or I’ll make your day even worse.”

Riku glared at him, but he knew it was no empty threat. With a grumbled “you’re insufferable” he walked off to the stall in question, leaving Vanitas temporarily unattended. Vanitas wasted no time, turning to weave through the crowd to the other side of the square and then ducking inside a narrow alleyway. He just needed to get far enough that Riku wouldn't have a chance of finding him any time soon.

After following the twists and turns of alleyways and side roads away from the town square, he eventually found himself at a small river. There was a bridge a little further up ahead that he considered crossing, when he noticed someone sleeping in the grass right by the water. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered Vanitas; he was very good at not caring about other people, after all. But there was something about the sleeping boy… 

With a none-too-gentle kick, he jostled the boy awake, who sat upright with a startled yell. 

"Hey," Vanitas said, catching the boy's attention. Wide, shining eyes met his own, and Vanitas had to suppress a shudder. It was like looking in a mirror. "What's your name?"

"Oh, uh… I'm Sora," the boy replied, and even their voices were alike. "Can I help you with something?"

The boy was smiling up at Vanitas now, which made a confused frown settle on his face, because hadn't Vanitas just kicked him awake? No matter. Looking at the similarly unruly hair, the similarly rounded face, and estimating they were close in height as well, a plan started taking shape in Vanitas' head. He felt his frown melt away into a wicked grin.

"I'm sure you've seen a mirror before, so it probably hasn't escaped you that we look practically the same," Vanitas said, eyeing the boy up and down once more. "Well. Aside from those tatters and the dirt."

The boy shuffled and pulled subconsciously on his threadbare and worn out shirt, blush dusting his cheeks. He was clearly poor, just from looking. _Perfect._

"Yeah? What are you getting at?" the boy asked, frowning slightly. It didn't match Vanitas' daily scowls, but the similarity was still uncanny. "Who are you?"

Vanitas felt his grin grow wider still.

"I'm Vanitas, crown prince and only grandchild of King Xehanort. And you," he poked the boy in the chest, "are going to solve all my problems."


	2. Reality Shift

Sora could be described as a lot of things. He was generally friendly, hard working, energetic, maybe a bit of an airhead. Some would point out his poor clothes, call his appearance messy, even. Out of all the words that described him, _princely_ was not one. Yet here he was, with the honest to goodness prince himself, and he just asked Sora to _what?!_

"You want me to _what?!_ " 

"Switch places with me for a while," the prince said, completely nonplussed, as though he hadn't just proposed the craziest idea Sora had ever heard in his life.

When Sora continued to just stare at him, Prince Vanitas sighed dramatically. It was the kind of sigh that was loud and put out, like he was annoyed with Sora’s inability to see how that was a perfectly sound idea and very much wanted him to know this. Sora was unfortunately quite familiar with those sighs.

“Look,” he said, “we could practically be twins, and you seem like you’ve never lived in moderate comfort, much less luxury, for even a day in your life.” At this, Sora was about to open his mouth to comment on how that’s actually a very rude assumption, even if it was true, but Prince Vanitas held up his hand to stop him. “And I,” he continued, looking over Sora with calculating eyes, “need a vacation. Badly. But princes don’t _get_ vacation from _princely duties_ , so I need to get… creative. Which is where you come in.”

“But, wait,” Sora cut in. “Even if we look alike, which, I have to admit is a bit weird, I still don’t think I could pass as you. I don’t know anything about castles or… or princely duties, or anything!”

The prince seemed to consider this, lips pursed and eyebrows drawn down in a frown. Sora waited patiently while he came to his conclusion, and felt his worries spike when he only shrugged nonchalantly.

“So we’ll say you have amnesia. No big deal.”

“H-how is that not a big deal?!”

Was he even hearing himself? The prince, the _actual crown prince_ himself, was asking Sora to take _his_ place in the palace. Sora, who slept on the streets half the days, who only barely scraped by, playing a prince and having people believe it? Even with a lie like amnesia, there was no way that was going to fly. Yet the prince seemed to have already made up his mind, and Sora felt fear for what this meant for his future. Could you be executed for impersonating a royal person? Probably.

“We’ll just run with the story that you hit your head while off on your own, and the blow messed with your memories, and, uh…” He gave Sora a considering look, and for some reason or other Sora felt like he didn’t measure up to whatever the prince had in mind. “... With your personality,” he continued, waving a hand. “That way, it doesn’t matter that you’re uneducated or unrefined, it can all just be explained away by a head trauma.”

Again, Sora considered pointing out that Prince Vanitas really was rather rude, but decided against it. There were more pressing issues to talk back against, after all.

“Wouldn’t they examine me if I said that? Since they would think I’m, you know… you. The prince.”

Vanitas hummed, thinking. Slowly, a smile spread on his lips that made a shiver run down Sora’s spine.

“If I promise you I can solve that little issue for you, do you agree to trade places for a while? You wouldn’t have to do any work if you’re acting like an amnesiac, so it would really just be a lot of luxury until I’m back.”

“I… I guess so,” Sora answered. He had a bad feeling, suddenly, but… Well, what the heck, how often would the chance to not only talk to the _crown prince of the whole kingdom_ , but also be invited to his palace and life style? Sora was rather tired of the streets, even if it was what he considered home.

Before him, Prince Vanitas’ smirk widened into a grin, and Sora very suddenly felt like prey about to be eaten by a predator.

“Great! Oh, one more thing. Be careful with Riku. He’s my aide and guard, and while he never uses it for anything fun, he is sharp. He’s got silver hair, so you know that you’re going with the right person later when he comes to find you. It’s really hard to miss.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks, I guess?”

“Yeah yeah. Now, then, we have to make this believable. Enjoy royalty for me, and have a nice nap.”

“Wait, what--” was as far as Sora came, before Vanitas grabbed something heavy - possibly a stone - and hit him in the head, and the world went black.

* * * * *

The world came back to Sora slowly. The first thing he noticed was pain, which seemed centered around his head, but he still felt too floaty to be sure. The second thing he noticed was muffled sounds, like someone was trying to talk while he was underwater. The third thing was something warm on his shoulder, contrasting against how cold everything else felt, and the warm something was shaking him, and… And he opened his eyes to see the blurry image of a worried face framed by silver hair.

“Your Highness!” the voice was saying, or rather yelling, now that Sora’s senses were turning back on, and, oh, the voice belonged to the silver haired person. Who was also shaking him.

“What…?” Sora groaned out. He attempted to sit, and was thankful that the other man instantly moved to support him, because moving made everything spin, and it hurt.

“Are you okay, Your Highness?” the man said, urgency clear in his voice. Sora distantly noticed that it was a very nice sounding voice. He was wondering why he kept calling for some ‘highness’ though…

Oh, wait. _Oh_. Ohhh, he was going to punch Prince Vanitas whenever he saw him next, prince or not. Damn, his head hurt. He moved to rub against the throbbing area, hoping to alleviate some of the pain, but flinched the moment his fingers made contact. He was shocked to see them come away slightly red.

“Uh… I might not be okay?” he said weakly. How hard had Vanitas hit him?!

“It’s unlike you to trip,” the man (Riku, his memory helpfully supplied him with) said, “but the odds of you hitting your head against a rock like that… We’re lucky it’s not worse than it looks. Can you stand?” With the question, Riku started to stand up himself, offering his hand to Sora. He took it and got pulled up on shaky legs, Riku’s hand on his elbow to steady him.

This close, Sora finally got a proper look at the prince’s guard, and his heart instantly stuttered into his throat. His hair was indeed silver, giving him an almost otherworldly appearance, like the fairies out of folktales, and his eyes were a vivid shade of turquoise, like the precious gems Sora had seen some of the richer ladies in the town wear on occasion. It was breathtaking.

“Your Highness…?” Riku asked, still frowning with concern, and Sora realized he might have not been listening. He quickly shook his head to gather his focus away from beautiful gem like eyes and how warm his face felt, but the motion made a stab of pain shoot through him instead. With a hiss, he clutched at his head as close to the wound as he could touch without further hurting himself. Riku instantly tensed beside him. “We need to get you back to the palace and have the physician look at that. I don’t care that you hate him, this needs to be examined and patched up. You might even need stitches. So just… for once in your life, don’t complain and just come with me, please.”

Sora didn’t really know what else to do other than nod slowly. He let Riku lead him through the streets on the quickest path towards the palace, and an excited, nervous flutter started up in his stomach with every step closer to it. As a commoner, especially a poor one, he had never even been close to the palace, much less inside it, and while one part of him (possibly the one that was in a lot of pain from royal princes hitting him with _rocks_ ) was terrified of the whole situation he had gotten into, another part could barely wait to see what the grand building looked like inside.

“You’re… surprisingly docile,” Riku muttered next to him. “It’s kind of creepy.”

Sora didn’t know what to say to that, so he just blinked a few times and shrugged. He figured it was probably best to stay silent for now, so he didn’t give himself away or anything.

Soon enough, they entered the palace grounds, and Sora could not stop himself from looking every which way in absolute awe, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. He was vaguely aware of Riku looking at him oddly, but he couldn’t help himself. Everything looked so grand! The flowerbeds, the statues, the trimmed grass; it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. His awe only increased when they stepped inside the palace building, where there were large paintings with intricate frames on the walls, thick curtains and carpets, and stone floors under those that shone like polished jewels. A servant (or at least Sora assumed, based on her plain clothes, which were still leagues more expensive looking than anything he had ever worn) came to greet them, bowing deeply in a show of respect. Riku told her something about calling for the royal physician, but Sora’s mind was too busy processing his surroundings to properly pay attention.

He was lead down the corridors and into a room with the biggest bed he had ever seen, its bedposts intricately carved and reaching up to form a curtained canopy. There was a fireplace in the corner, decorated with raven like creatures, and a large portrait of the crown prince himself above it. Sora blinked at it, reminded of their startling similarities in everything from face to voice. Sora didn’t think he himself ever scowled like that, though…

“Here, Your Highness. Please sit while the physician makes his way here,” Riku said, pulling Sora’s attention back to the present. He directed him to a plush looking arm chair in the other corner, just by a large bookshelf filled with books and trinkets. Sora hesitantly did as he was told, eyes still roaming the room, trying to take it all in. He noticed with some interest that Vanitas seemed to prefer dark colors; blacks, browns and deep reds, mainly. “Seriously, how hard did you hit your head?” he heard Riku mutter, and he chuckled nervously.

He was going to say something, when there was an urgent knock on the door. Riku called for whoever it was, probably the physician, to come in, and soon Sora was faced with an older man with long, pale hair and a neatly trimmed beard.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” he greeted. He had a pleasant voice, Sora found. He gave him a nervous smile, and was surprised to see the physician frown in return. “I was told you hit your head. Would you mind me taking a look?” he asked. Sora shook his head slightly, mindful of the pain.

“Go ahead.”

Frowning even deeper, the man reached for his head and carefully turned it so he could see the injury. Sora felt him move hair out of the way, and wasn’t all that encouraged by the sympathetic hiss he heard above him.

“It must have been quite a nasty blow,” he muttered. “I don’t think it will require stitches, however I am concerned about any potential… internal damage, as it were.”

“Internal damage?” Riku asked from where he stood guarding the door, voice strained by how much he clearly did not like the sound of that. Sora didn’t really like the sound of it either.

The hands let go of his head, and the man kneeled in front of Sora, holding eye contact with him.

“Tell me, Your Highness. How are you feeling right now?”

“Um… Not so great?” Sora answered. He remembered the plan about playing amnesiac, and reached for something more to say that could sell it better. “Everything’s kind of… fuzzy.”

“Fuzzy how?” the man asked. Sora stuttered a little, searching for a good answer.

“Like, uh…” Heck, maybe he should just go for it. “I’m not actually sure who you people are?”

Silence settled over the room like a heavy blanket. Sora felt himself tense, waiting for the inevitable moment where they called his bluff and kicked him out of the palace and into the prison. That moment never came, though, and instead Riku uncrossed his arms and took quick strides towards his side.

“Your Highness, you don’t recognize me?” he demanded. Sora shook his head. “What about this room?” Another shake of his head. “Do you know who _you_ are?”

“Riku, perhaps you shouldn’t be so forceful…” the man tried to say, but Sora was already shaking his head no.

“I’m really sorry,” he said, and he was. These people were clearly distressed, and Sora hated that he caused that, even if all this was the real prince’s own idea.

“This is quite troubling,” the man said after a brief silence. “With some luck, the memories might return on their own, but… For now, I suppose all we can do is observe. You will have to be extra vigilant, Riku.” He turned to the guard, leveling him with a grave look. “Any sign of further concussion, such as fainting or nausea, must be reported back to me immediately. Can I trust you with this?”

“Of course, Ansem.”

“Good.”

The man (Ansem, Sora supposed) gave him another long, considering look, before he stood and, after quickly patching up the wound on his head with deft hands, excused himself from the room. The silence left in his wake felt tense.

“You really don’t remember anything?” Riku asked him after a while.

“Not really, no. Sorry.”

“I’ll be honest, hearing you apologize might be the weirdest thing about this,” he mumbled, and Sora couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of him at the comment. From his one short meeting with the prince, he had no trouble believing that, honestly.

Eventually he calmed down, wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye while grinning up at Riku, but was startled to find the other staring at him with wide eyes.

“Is… something wrong?” Sora asked, hoping he hadn’t just done something he shouldn’t have, but Riku shook his head.

“Oh, uh, no. Not at all, your highness. It’s just… No, never mind. I’ll, uh. I’ll leave you to rest, alright? I’ll be nearby, so just shout if you need me.” He stumbled as he quickly made his way to the door, then paused, turned around and said, “oh, and my name is Riku. Since you… forgot.”

“Right,” Sora said, slightly amused by the other’s sudden flustered behavior. Riku nodded, almost to himself, before he exited, leaving Sora in the silence of a huge, foreign room.

Finally with a moment to himself, Sora took a deep breath, held it, and positively deflated as he let it out. It had only been, what, an hour? And he was already exhausted. Maybe he really should rest, and that oversized bed looked inviting to say the least. Intending on inspecting it further, he stood up, and only then noticed something he really should’ve realized the moment he came to: he wasn’t wearing his own clothes anymore. More accurately, he was wearing the _crown prince’s_ clothes. Had he changed them after he knocked Sora unconscious? He tried not to dwell on how weird he felt about that, instead focusing on inspecting the fancy garments he was wearing. They were mostly black with red accents, in line with what Sora picked up about the rest of Vanitas’ aesthetic. He looked around the room until he spotted a large mirror, its frame ornate and painted gold. When he inspected himself, he nearly gasped. Instead of the usual dirty street rat, the person looking back at him in the mirror looked _handsome_. The clothes were softer than anything he had ever felt, but they also hugged his body like no other garment he could afford ever had, and as Sora turned to inspect himself, he found he didn’t quite dislike it, as unusual and weird as it looked. He really did look like a prince, like this.

Still slightly awestruck and head swirling with thoughts, he made his way over to the bed, testing the springiness and feel of it before flopping down and nearly yelling in surprise when the mattress just about swallowed him. He hadn’t known beds could be this soft! It felt good, the sheets were all smooth and soft to the touch and the pillows full and fluffy.

Sora made himself comfortable, and within only seconds he was comfortably asleep, his mind conjuring up dreams of laying on the softest of clouds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually going to sit on this chapter for a bit longer, but I got impatient and couldn't hold out any longer xD I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> A HUGE thank you to everyone who commented on the prologue chapter! The support I've felt really helps keep me motivated ; w ; <333 please look forward to the next chapter in about a week!
> 
> Talk to me on twitter: KamikazeWorld


	3. A Starving Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter!! This took a little longer than anticipated, but I wanted to get started on chapter 4 before I uploaded this. Thank you SO MUCH for your continued support, everyone! I hope you'll keep enjoying the story as it moves forward! <333

When Sora woke up, he was instantly thrown into panic over the unfamiliar surroundings, before his brain had time to reoriented itself again. Right. He met the crown prince, Vanitas. Who wanted to switch places with him to get away from the royal life. So now here Sora was, in a soft, fluffy canopy bed in a grand, decorated bedroom, pretending to be a prince with amnesia. He buried his face in his hands and groaned.

“This was a terrible idea,” he muttered into his hands. “What was I thinking?”

He laid there a while longer to contemplate his recent life choices, if only because the bed was so comfortable and he didn’t really want to move yet, until his stomach gave him an unfriendly reminder that it had most likely been several hours since his last meal. He wondered where one could find food in a building this big, and figured the only way to find out was to explore, really. With that decided, he got up and padded over to the door, opening it slowly to peek outside in case anyone was there to see him.

“Oh, Your Highness, you’re awake,” someone said to the left of him, and Sora jumped.

Right. The royal guard. It made sense he’d be, well… guarding, he supposed.

“Riku, hey, uh…”

“How are you feeling?” Riku asked, eyebrows knit together. He frowned a lot, Sora thought, or maybe that was just because his ‘prince’ was possibly concussed and amnesiac. Another reason this was probably a bad idea. “Did you need anything?”

“Well, actually…” he started, but before he could even get to asking about food, his stomach rumbled loudly. The two stared at each other, and then Riku _laughed_ , and Sora felt himself blush all the way to his ears.

“Right, I’ll have the kitchen prepare something and bring it here. Anything you’d like?”

Sora stuttered for a minute, trying to think of what to say. He had no idea what the prince liked to eat or what they had in the kitchen, after all, and he didn’t want to already mess this up. Riku must’ve noticed his hesitation, though, because that frown made its way back to his face.

“Do you… not remember your favorite foods, Your Highness?” he asked. Sora swallowed.

“Sorry. I just don’t know what we have? I was thinking maybe I could just find the kitchen and grab something for myself…” He trailed off at the look Riku was giving him, owlish and blinking. “Is… that not okay?” he asked, just in case.

“No! I mean, it’s okay. It’s just unusual for you to want to do something like that by yourself.”

“Really?” Actually, Sora had little trouble believing that. “So can I? Though, uh… I have no idea where the kitchen actually is.” He rubbed at the back of his head awkwardly, giving the guard a sheepish smile, and was happy when it earned him the smallest of smile in return.

“Alright,” Riku said, “I’ll show you the way, Your Highness.”

While they walked, Sora took the time to look around some more, his mind working double time to process all the details and decorations. There were polished stone floors in not just the entry hall, but along every corridor, as well as wall murals, extravagant vases unlike anything Sora had ever seen filled with beautiful, vibrant flowers, and, of course, paintings everywhere, big and small. Some were important looking portraits, while others were of scenery or hunting scenes or townscapes. It was really a lot to take in; Sora could barely wrap his head around having so many things at once, in one place, when he himself had barely ever had anything.

“Are you okay?” Riku asked suddenly, startling Sora out of his observations.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. There’s just so much to look at,” he explained, a tad embarrassed. He must’ve looked pretty stupid, turning his head every which way like that, but Riku said nothing of it. Instead, he gave him what Sora assumed was a considering look, maybe to size him up, or to compare him to however the real prince would have acted.

Sora tried to keep his eyes forward the rest of the way. He did not entirely succeed.

When they finally got to the kitchen, he was absolutely wowed. First of all, the space was huge, pots and pans lining almost every surface up on the wall and on the far benches. There were a handful of people running around and going about their daily jobs of cooking and preparing something or other, and even just the ingredients laid out at the moment made Sora’s mouth water.

“Y-your Highness!” one of the kitchen staff exclaimed, which made everyone else stop in their tracks, their attention now focused entirely on Sora.

“Uh… Hi?” he said, trying for a smile. The staring did not stop. Thankfully, Riku quickly took over.

“The prince has been feeling unwell today, and wanted to see what’s available for himself before he decides what he feels up to eating. Will one of you help him?” he asked, and Sora was briefly dumbstruck by how polite and friendly he was. He had assumed, from what he heard on the streets, that staff were treated poorly by those of higher status, but Riku was giving them a charming smile and asking nicely. He supposed Riku was technically staff himself, in a way (or was he? Sora wasn’t sure how these things worked), but he seemed genuinely kind, and it made his heart jump a little in his chest.

He didn’t have enough time to keep thinking about Riku’s apparent kindness, though, because the lady who had first addressed him nodded quickly and stutteringly asked them to follow her to the pantry, to see if anything would be to the prince’s tastes. The pantry, turns out, was more like an entire other _room_ filled to the ceiling with food: meat, vegetables, fruit, bread, and barrels with who knows what. A lot of it was dried, but there were fresh ingredients too, waiting to be used, and Sora couldn’t help the way his stomach loudly rumbled again. He blushed when both the staff lady and Riku tried to hide surprised snickers.

“Wow, there sure is a lot of food!” he said, perhaps a little too loud in an attempt to not focus on the two laughing at him.

“Of course! We would never let His Highness’ pantry run low,” the lady informed him, radiating pride over this fact. It made Sora smile a little, but mostly he felt overwhelmed by the amount of options presented to him, especially when she started suggesting various fancy sounding dishes.

“Actually,” Sora cut in, not wanting to be rude but also really just wanting something in his stomach already, “my stomach is a bit upset for a full meal. Could I just have a sandwich for now?”

“Certainly, Your Highness. Which toppings would His Highness like?”

“Oh, uh, surprise me? I’m sure anything in here tastes amazing either way.”

He turned to look at Riku, who must’ve caught the pleading look in his eyes, because he soon confirmed with the staff to prepare and bring the sandwich to the prince’s chambers, and started leading Sora out and away from the kitchen.

“That really was a lot of everything,” Sora commented on their way back to Prince Vanitas’ bedroom. Riku let out a sound like an amused snort.

“You’re not exactly known for your moderation, Your Highness.”

“That so? I wonder why I would even need all that. It looked like enough food for a whole party!”

“Yeah, well…” Riku trailed off, glancing to the side, and Sora got the impression he was holding something back. Before he could ask, they had reached the bedroom, and Riku opened the door for him. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

“Wait,” Sora called before he could close the door. “Couldn’t you just join me in here?”

“You’d… want that?” Riku asked, eyebrows knit together like this confused him. Maybe it wasn’t something princes usually asked for, but Sora didn’t like the thought of being alone in the big, dark room.

“Sure. You’ve known me a long time, right? Since I don’t remember anything, you could tell me stuff! You know, to fill in the gaps,” he suggested. That way, he would both have company and find out more about the prince he was supposed to impersonate. So far, the image painted of him was not a very great one, but Sora liked to believe there was some good in everyone.

“That’s not a bad idea… Alright. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

“Great!”

Riku closed the door behind them, and the two sat in the posh looking chairs around a dark, polished wooden table as they talked and waited for Sora’s sandwich.

“So, Riku,” Sora started, lacing his fingers together over the table. “How would you describe me?”

“I know you can’t remember anything, but a part of me still feels like this is a trap,” he replied with a slight laugh.

“Is that something I would do?”

“Yeah, you like pushing people’s buttons. You’re stubborn, for sure, and you like getting your way. You definitely find joy in making my job more difficult.”

“Should you be telling your prince that?” Sora joked. He actually had no trouble believing that description of Prince Vanitas, based on their earlier meeting. Riku gave him a smirk.

“You’ve never cared what I had to say before. I figured you won’t start now just because you got a head injury.” Somehow, Sora had no trouble believing that, either. The prince had definitely seemed the type to only follow his own rules, which he guessed was allowed when you were a prince, but why wouldn’t you want to listen to Riku when he seemed so nice, and smart, and had a very nice, soothing voice?

“Well… Maybe I should start listening more,” Sora ventured. Riku instantly lost his smirk, instead staring wide eyed at Sora.

Just then, a knock came from the door, and a servant came in to put a silver platter on the table in front of Sora. He bowed and excused himself, leaving Sora to gape at the sandwich in front of him. The bread was a large, thick slice, topped with elegantly curved pieces of meat, lettuce, and other vegetables, and what looked like spices of some kind. The bread still smelled fresh, and the combined smell of the ingredients made his mouth water and his stomach rumble eagerly. He had expected a thin slice with some cheese or a slice of ham, maybe, but this…?

Carefully, he picked the sandwich up, raised it to his lips, and took a bite. Instantly, flavor washed over him, rich and near overwhelming. It was without a doubt the most delicious sandwich he had ever had in his entire life, so good it nearly brought tears to his eyes. The bread was soft and supple, the meat (some kind of bird, by the taste of it) was tender, and he could actually taste the butter, smooth and rich against his tongue, blending gloriously with everything else. Without even thinking, he started devouring it, eager to still his hunger out of habit and not wanting a single piece to go to waste. Around halfway, he remembered he wasn’t actually alone with his sandwich, and looked up at Riku, who was watching him curiously. He smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry, did you want to taste it?” he asked, holding the remaining half of the sandwich out to him. Riku blinked, surprised, and shook his head.

“I really hope you get your memories back, you being polite and nice is really uncanny,” he said after a moment of more blinking. Sora laughed and scratched his head.

“I’m really not sure how to react to that, you know.”

“Sorry. This is just… a bit stressful.” Riku rubbed a few strands of his bangs between his fingers. “Just focus on taking it easy for now, until your memories come back, alright? And let me know if you start feeling sick. I’ll have to report it to Ansem, so none of this gets worse.”

Sora looked down at his sandwich, contemplating. He really was causing these nice people a lot of stress. Maybe it would be better to just cut this whole plan short, after all. They could find the real crown prince, and everything would go back to normal for everyone. Surely, that would be better.

“Riku… What if I’m not the prince?” he said. He kept his eyes firmly on the table, afraid to look up. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder, so gentle in its touch that it made him gasp.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. Even if you don’t remember, we know who you are. I swear to you that we’ll all be here to help you through this.”

Sora looked up then, despite himself, and met Riku’s turquoise eyes. They were trained right on him, firm and sincere, just as his voice had been. They were piercing. _Beautiful._ Sora found himself swallowing, forcing himself to look away.

“Alright,” he said. “Thank you.”

If his voice was shaking, Riku didn’t need to know why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I thrive off of comments, so please consider leaving one even to just keysmash ; w ; <33  
> if you wanna hmu on twitter: https://twitter.com/KamikazeWorld


	4. A Racing Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER! It's been a while, since I've been busy with fic exchanges and zine deadlines (and still am but shhh) but to make up for it, this one is a bit longer than the previous ones! I struggled a little with this one, but I do hope the pacing doesn't feel off ; v ; anyway, enjoy!!

There was a flower hanging on to a thin tree branch, swaying slowly in the wind. Sora knew this, because he had been watching it for the past fifteen minute, laying on his back on the grass in a corner of the palace garden. Imagine that, being a flower swaying in the wind. A flower didn't have to worry about pretending to not remember an entire royal life, get horribly lost in the huge palace several times, or have people look at you weird because they think you’re someone else and you’re acting _wrong_. Sora would have really liked to be that flower right about then.

It had been four days since his fated encounter with Prince Vanitas and being brought to the palace in his stead. The wound on his head so generously left by him was still a bit tender but otherwise healing just fine, according to Ansem the royal physician, which was great, but _oh no_ , it seemed his memories still weren’t returning, and isn’t that worrying and too bad? Except Sora didn’t actually have amnesia. He just never had those memories in the first place. He had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and been roped into a bratty prince’s crazy scheme and had to deal with the consequences, which included a lot of _lying_ , and Sora generally didn’t like lying. All in all, the experience so far had been overwhelming and stressful, even if he did have more food than he had ever had in all his life combined, and didn’t have to worry about where he would sleep for the night.

Just then, a shadow moved over him, blocking the sunlight from his face. He looked over to find Riku standing there, looking down at him with a quirked eyebrow.

“Are you okay, Your Highness?” he asked, voice a mix of concern and amusement. “You’ve been laying here for a while now, you know.”

“Yeah, just thinking about stuff.”

Riku sat down next to him, legs crossed.

“About what?”

“Life, I guess. All of this is kind of stressful,” Sora allowed. Predictably, Riku thought he meant the supposed amnesia.

“That’s understandable, but don’t worry. I’m sure it will all start coming back soon,” he said, granting Sora a smile. Unbidden, Sora found himself smiling back.

Over the last few days, Riku seemed to have adjusted fairly quickly and gotten used to Sora’s softer demeanor compared to how everyone described the real prince. He was kind in how he spoke, had taken to asking how he was feeling or what he was thinking, and was always ready to step in and help when Sora got confused or lost. But even though this was the most comfortable living he had ever been exposed to, and he had felt a good amount of excitement over some of the things he found in the palace, Sora still couldn’t help feelings overwhelmed and exhausted by it. It was all just so different, so _much_ , and that wasn’t even touching on the guilt. Before he could stop himself, he heaved a weary sigh.

“I hope you’re right,” he mumbled, looking back up at the flower in the tree.

Silence fell over them, not quite comfortable, but not really uncomfortable either. Sora closed his eyes, letting himself focus on the feeling of wind on his skin, the grass under his arms, and the sound of rustling leaves, chasing a sense of peace. After another moment, Riku hummed, pulling Sora’s attention back to him.

“Hey, would you like to go hunting?” he asked. Sora figured his grimace at the thought of that was answer enough. The thought of hurting an animal for fun did not sit right with him at all. Riku must’ve read his expression right, because the next thing he asked was, “then, how about riding?”

Sora blinked. Considered this, the implications of the word, then quickly sat up to look at Riku, all previous thoughts as good as gone.

“Like, horses?” he asked. Riku laughed, and Sora still got struck by how nice it sounded.

“Yeah, what else? Elephants?” he joked, but Sora was too excited now to feel embarrassed.

“We actually have horses? Here? Can we really?”

“Well, yeah. If you want to. The palace has its own stables, just down past the greenhouse.”

“We have a greenhouse?!” Sora exclaimed. Four days, and there was still so much of the palace he hadn’t seen or even knew about yet! Royalty sure was a whole other world.

“Of course, where do you think all your fruits and vegetables come from?” Riku asked with a small smirk.

“Can we go check it out? I’ve never been to a greenhouse before!”

Sora realized his mistake the moment he finished speaking and Riku’s smirk fell into a frown. He swallowed, hoping he didn’t reveal himself as the liar he currently was.

“You have,” Riku said quietly. “It’s never been your favorite place, too hot for your tastes apparently, but you have.”

Sora looked down, feeling ashamed. Even if Riku seemed to just roll with Sora and his “amnesia”, there were still moments like this, when it all seemed so hard. He would look upset, worried, confused, and Sora wanted to blurt out the truth then and there just to make it go away. The only thing holding him back was fear of the consequences, because even if the prince himself had put him there, he had no way of proving this, and even if they did believe him there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be severely punished for it before Prince Vanitas even came back.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Riku shook his head.

“It’s okay. Who knows, maybe if we go there it will jog something loose. Still want to check it out?”

Sora gave him a small, lopsided smile despite himself.

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

* * * * *

The palace grounds, it turned out, had even more gardens than the huge ones Sora had already seen and visited. He wondered briefly how much land the royal family even had connected to the palace, but realized he couldn’t even really process the mass of land he currently knew about, and quickly gave up on those thoughts. He heard Riku chuckle behind him while he turned his head this way and that in an attempt to take in the various fruit trees, bushes and crops growing in this particular end of the garden, in awe over the vast amount of growing food. 

“It’s so weird to see you this excited about something,” he commented, and Sora turned back to him with a grin.

“Maybe I just didn’t get excited because I’d already seen it so often?” he ventured and spread his arms wide. “This is all new to me right now!”

“I suppose so,” Riku said, amusement tinting his voice, which made Sora’s cheeks feel warm. He liked Riku like this, relaxed and happy, even with the weirdness of the entire situation.

Finally they got to the greenhouse, which was a large glass dome with thick greenery inside, some which looked unlike any plants Sora had ever seen before. He gaped at the looming structure, then looked back to Riku.

“It’s huge,” he whispered, eyes wide. Riku laughed that beautiful laugh again, tearing Sora’s poor attention between it and the greenhouse before them. “Is it really okay to go in?”

“It’s your greenhouse,” Riku said with a shrug. Sora blinked at him a few times, then turned back to the glass dome and blinked at it a few times more. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out for the doorknob and pushed, the door sliding open with a soft creak.

The first thing Sora noticed upon entering was that it was really _warm_. Warm and kind of damp, actually, a combination which was not kind to his lungs. He pushed his discomfort aside, though, because his curiosity had just found something amazing and was not going to lose out on it just because his body was a bit unhappy.

“We mostly keep things like citruses and tomatoes in here, things that like it a bit hotter,” Riku explained, coming up behind Sora. He pointed somewhere up ahead. “There’s also plants brought in from other kingdoms, like those, which were gifts from the Kingdom of Agrabah.”

“Woah…”

Riku glanced at him then, and Sora heard him mutter “if only you listened this well when you _didn’t_ suffer from head injuries,” low enough that it was probably not meant to be heard. He wisely chose not to comment.

They looked around the greenhouse for some time, Sora pointing at curious looking plants to ask about them, and Riku did his best to explain what he knew about them. At one point, Sora had turned to him and expressed how amazing it was that he knew all this, to which he was rewarded with Riku blushing and confessing that he had a passing interest in botany on the side. Sora beamed at him, absolutely pleased with this little nugget of information and the knowledge that Riku could look that _cute._

Eventually, the humid air started getting a little too stifling, and Sora’s interest in the greenery was winding down, so the two made their way back out and continued on past the greenhouse, following a path that took them to the palace stables instead. Sora could hear the faint sound of horses shuffling around and going about their business before they had even entered, and a new wave of excitement grew within him, almost making him vibrate with anticipation. He couldn’t quite stop himself from running the last stretch, laughing when he heard Riku’s shout of surprise followed by the telltale sound of footfalls indicating he was running after him, keeping up just behind him. Riku may have had longer legs, but Sora knew that he was _fast_. One had to be, to survive on the streets.

In the end, they each slammed a hand on the stable doors at almost the exact same time, breathing a little labored from their short sprint. They both grinned at each other, and Sora didn’t even try to hold back the laugh that bubbled out of him. Next to him, Riku shook his head exasperatedly, but his smile seemed fond when he moved to brush bangs out of his eyes.

They entered the stable, the distinct smell of hay and animals reaching them immediately. There looked to be about a dozen horses, with room for double that amount, all of them different colors. Some had their manes loose, some were neatly trimmed, and one had its mane in carefully tied knots along its neck. They didn’t seem too bothered by the newcomers, simply regarding them with calm curiosity.

“Do all of these belong to the palace?” Sora asked while they walked further in. He walked up to a box stall where a white horse was sticking its head out in clear want of attention, and reached a hand up for the horse to nose at, his other hand moving to gently stroke its neck. He laughed a bit at the ticklish sensation of the horse’s breath on his skin.

“Pretty much, yeah. Some of them belong to the guards and staff, but most of them are yours. I’m guessing the rest of them might be out in the paddock right now.” Riku paused to give Sora, who had started petting the black and brown horse who had stuck its head out from the next box as well, a considering look. “You don’t normally pick those two,” he said after a moment.

“Really? But they’re such sweethearts!” As if understanding the praise, the white horse he had approached first neighed and bumped its head affectionately against Sora’s arm, making him laugh. “Do you think we can take them out?” he asked, giving Riku a grin.

“It should be fine,” Riku answered, then smirked, a sight that sent heat to Sora’s cheeks. “Not that it ever stopped you before.”

“Oh,” Sora said intelligently. “Right. So how do we do this? I don’t, uh… remember how to ride horses.”

Riku pursed his lips for a moment. He glanced around the stables as if looking for something.

“There should be a stablehand here at all times during the day, but… Maybe they stepped out. Give me a moment, okay?”

With that, Riku disappeared around the corner, leaving Sora with the horses. He turned back to the white horse, stroking its head gently. There was something knowing, something kind in its big, dark eyes, and Sora felt properly seen for the first time since coming there.

“You know I’m different, huh,” he whispered, only for the horse’s ears. “You wouldn’t judge me for it, either, I bet, because you’re a good horse.” The horse responded by blowing a huff of air in his face, startling another laugh from him.

A few more minutes passed where Sora petted and talked to the horses, before he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up just in time to see Riku walking in with a tall, broad shouldered man who should have been intimidating if not for his eyes holding that same kindness Sora had found in the horses’. 

“Your Highness, this is Terra, one of the royal stablehand,” Riku introduced, and Terra bowed deeply.

“I heard what happened. I’m really sorry, Your Highness,” he said. “I know we’ve had our differences in the past, but if there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

That made Sora pause. How could anyone not instantly want to get along with Terra? He seemed so gentle and kind just from first impression! Leave it to someone like Prince Vanitas to have “differences” with someone like that. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but it was tempting.

“Oh, uh, sure,” he said instead. “Thanks, Terra.”

Terra and Riku shared a look between each other, as though in silent conversation, and Sora was pretty sure Riku’s expression said something along the lines of “told you so” in response to Terra’s poorly concealed shock at being thanked. Sora was fairly accustomed to that surprise after just a few days, but he really didn’t think being polite should have been such a big deal, even if you were a prince. But what did he know? He was really just a street rat, after all.

Terra led them to the saddle room, telling Sora about the various equipments when he asked. He seemed slightly nervous, perhaps because he and Prince Vanitas had not gotten along, but he also seemed pleasantly surprised and excited over getting to talk about anything having to do with the horses or the stables. It made Sora happy to see, and made it all the more exciting to listen.

Soon enough, they had their chosen horses saddled and ready to go. Sora had stuck with the white horse, whose name was, ironically, Midnight, while Riku went with a grey speckled horse named Oats. One of the stablehands had apparently thought it was funny and it just stuck, but despite the mismatched name the horse itself was beautiful, its coat shining in an almost other-worldly way and its eyes bright with energy. She was a good match for Riku, Sora decided.

“Now remember, only press lightly against her sides if you want her to go forward, steer with your body, and simply shorten the reins to make her stop,” Terra explained to Sora after he helped him onto Midnight’s back.

“Got it! Thanks, Terra.” He turned to Riku with a wide grin, anticipation vibrating just under his skin. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” came Riku’s reply, along with a slight smile in response to Sora’s.

“If anything happens--” Terra started, but Riku cut him off.

“Don’t worry. I know how to do my job,” he said.

He looked almost smug, radiating confidence as he did, and Sora really liked how it looked on him. He didn’t have time to dwell on it much, though, because with that they took off, their horses walking at a slow pace out through the stable’s wide doors and towards the open, grassy field surrounding it. It was bordered by the edge of a forest, and Sora wondered if they would be able to explore it later.

To Sora’s surprise, riding a horse wasn’t as hard as he had feared. He felt safe and secure on Midnight’s back, if a bit wobbly at first, and Riku was always nearby to give him advice when he hesitated or got unsure of what to do. At one point Sora had tried pressing a little harder against Midnight’s sides, just to see what she would do, and was delighted when she set off in a gallop, laughing freely as he bounced in the saddle. It didn’t take long for Riku and Oats to catch up, and soon they were racing across the field, delighted and competitive and simply having _fun_. Sora hadn’t known how much he needed that until then. He realized somewhere in the back of his mind that Riku had likely proposed the idea in the first place to cheer him up, and his cheeks were warm from both happiness and gratitude when they finally slowed down. He grinned so widely at Riku that his cheeks nearly hurt, but he was just too happy to stop.

“Thanks for suggesting this,” he said as they walked along the line of trees at the end of the field.

“You’re welcome,” Riku said back with a shrug and a smile. He, too, had clearly enjoyed their little race, and Sora felt his cheeks warm even more remembering the way he had laughed alongside Sora.

They stopped for a moment when Sora spotted some wild strawberries just beyond the trees that he wanted to investigate (by which he meant eat as many as possible), with Riku getting off first and then giving Sora an amused look.

“Having trouble?” he asked. Sora frowned while he wiggled on his horse, looking down at the ground below him.

“I don’t know how to get down,” he confessed. His frown morphed into a pout when Riku had the audacity to laugh.

“How you could forget something you’ve known how to do since you were eight is really beyond me,” he said. He kept his tone light, probably to not upset Sora about his amnesia (which he didn’t even have, the guilty voice in his head supplied), but Sora latched on to a different detail.

“Wait, you’ve known the pr-- I mean, me, since I was eight?”

“Nah. You just have this bad habit of bragging,” and, oh, that checked out. Sora was secretly thankful he hadn’t temporarily robbed Riku of a lifelong friendship, antagonistic though it likely may have been.

“Yeah, okay, message received,” he muttered, adding a roll of his eyes just for show. “Can you help me down or not?”

Riku shook his head fondly (or at least Sora wanted to believe that’s what it was) and reached out a hand for Sora to take, his other hand moving to Sora’s hip, ready to support and catch him as he got instructed to move his far leg over and towards Riku. The touch was simple, gentle yet practical, but it still made Sora’s heart jump. When Sora’s foot got stuck in the stirrup, making him stumble slightly and all but fall right onto Riku, his back to his chest and arms holding on to him, his heart was ready to leap out of his chest entirely. For just a moment, his own racing heart must’ve been the only movement between them. Just a single moment of indulgence before Sora jumped away.

“S-sorry!”

“No, it’s fine. You didn’t hurt your foot on the way down, right?”

“No…”

Was… Riku blushing? It couldn’t be, right? Sora must’ve imagined it. He quickly turned and stalked towards the trees instead, where the strawberries waited, all the while willing his heart to calm down and his face to cool off. He heard Riku follow him, but he didn’t dare look back. Not yet, at least.

“We should head back soon,” Riku said after a while. Sora gave a hum in agreement, piling a few of the tiny berries in his hand and standing back to face Riku. He had calmed down enough to do that much at least, with the taste of sweetness still on his tongue.

“Here,” he said, offering his hand to the guard, friendly smile in place. Riku had kept watch the entire time while Sora picked off the berries, and that simply wouldn’t do, earlier awkwardness be damned. He had to bite back a laugh when Riku blinked in surprise. “Don’t worry, I didn’t poison them.”

“No, I-- that’s not…” he stuttered, eyes shifting between Sora’s hand and his face. “I’m still not used to you offering me things.”

“Well, then maybe it’s time I start doing it more often,” he said without even thinking, smile falling away into a frown

Sora knew he should be playing this much safer, but every new thing he learned about the crown prince who put him into this situation made him a little more upset. The prince seemed selfish, rude and mean, and that’s not something Sora could play into. Especially not with Riku, who, despite any snark or teasing, was only trying to help Sora and keep him safe and happy. How could Prince Vanitas not offer him little things like that, gifts of gratitude and appreciation? How could anyone look at Riku and think he didn’t deserve _everything_?

A hand touched his, making him start out of his thoughts so fast it nearly gave him whiplash. Riku had accepted the offered berries, taking them into his own hand and plopping one in his mouth. He made an appreciative hum and gave Sora a smile that seemed almost shy.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“No problem,” Sora somehow managed to say.

Inside his chest, his heart was hammering away so fast it nearly hurt, and his mind was reeling with a nearly there realization. The skin where Riku had touched him tingled, and Riku helping him back on his horse didn’t help at all, as it only added more spaces where his touched seemed to burn Sora. He didn’t find it unpleasant though, a fact which he turned over and over in his head on the ride back, along with his slowly building catalogue of Riku’s different smiles, the sound of his laughter, how great it felt competing with him, talking to him, heck, even something so small as just looking at him made Sora a little happier.

The realization finally came to him as they handed the horses back to Terra to be taken care of. It shook him, enough to keep him quiet the entire way back to his room, where he excused himself by saying he needed to rest. Riku had bowed slightly, but just as he was about to close the door behind him, he turned, flashing Sora a small smile that had his breath catch in his lungs. In the silence after the door closed, he finally acknowledged the great realization:

Sora was really, genuinely falling for the crown prince’s personal royal guard.

Well shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you liked it, even just keysmashing, as I need validation to survive xD
> 
> Hit me up on twitter: https://twitter.com/KamikazeWorld


	5. Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I return with yet another chapter~! With even more appearances from other KH characters, no less! Please enjoy while I slave away to finish the chapters after this~

An interesting thing about realizing you were falling in love with someone, was that you became hyper aware of the fact once you had. Sora could certainly attest to this. Since his realization during their riding adventure, he had become extremely conscious of Riku any time he got close, of any little touch between them, and it never failed to make his heartbeat race and his cheeks flush. He was worried Riku would notice his no doubt odd behavior, but the royal guard thankfully seemed none the wiser. It didn’t help Sora feel any less mortified though, and it certainly didn’t help get rid of the butterflies now constantly fluttering about in his stomach when he thought about the other.

Thankfully, Sora was plenty distracted from thinking too much about beautiful guards with beautiful eyes at the moment. Since Riku had discovered the “prince” had forgotten how to use a sword, something which Vanitas had been practicing since age eleven and was quite proficient at, he had been very concerned about Sora’s ability to defend himself, should the need ever arise.

“Is that even possible?” he had asked Ansem when he came to check up on the prince’s “recovery”. The physician had hummed in thought, face drawn.

“I will admit, it is curious, but given that the blow also changed large parts of his personality, I suppose it is possible it also affected his muscle memory,” he had theorised.

Sora had tried to not look at the frown on Riku’s face during the conversation, and instead kept reminding himself that this was the prince’s own idea and he wasn’t actually doing anything wrong. Probably.

“It’s fine, though, right?” Sora had asked, inclining his head to Riku but still avoiding his eyes. “I mean, I have you to keep me safe.”

“Of course. But there might be times when I can’t be there, or times when you slink away like you did the day you hit your head, and I can’t allow that to become a safety issue.”

And so, Sora was set to take lessons from a sword master named Aqua, a tall, strong woman who was as strict as she was kind. She had greeted Sora with a soft voice and a pleasant smile, and Sora had instantly liked her, but when the lesson started she turned absolutely ruthless. She held nothing back, yelled corrections and pushed Sora to his absolute limit, forcing him on the defensive more than once. By the end of the first lesson, his entire body ached for hours after.

That’s what Sora was complaining about, rather loudly and petulantly, after a week’s worth of lessons. He was spread out on a soft, ornate carpet in one of the libraries (because of course there were more than one), while Riku sat at a desk nearby with his eyes on a book, only humming occasionally to show he was paying Sora any attention. Sora had started suspecting it wasn’t much attention at all, honestly, which was really rude. He was in pain! Riku should pity him, and tell him he did a good job and maybe offer him a massage… Could Sora ask him for a massage? Was that part of a royal aide’s duties? Probably not, but a boy could dream.

“Rikuuuu,” he whined when Riku really had stopped paying attention to him. He heard the guard sigh.

“I hear you, Your Highness. What do you want me to do about it? You need the training. Clearly you’d been slacking before the accident…” He muttered the last part and Sora pouted.

“I don’t know,” he whined, throwing his hands into the air. “Make Master Aqua not torture me while trying to teach me?” He pouted more when that only earned him an amused snort.

“If she didn’t listen to a prince’s pleas of going easy, she’s definitely not going to listen to me. I guess you just have to deal with it,” he said. Sora cursed his pretty face silently for the utter betrayal.

With a loud, drawn out groan, Sora let his arms fall back down so he was laying spread eagle on the carpet. Silence fell over them as Riku returned to his book (of which Sora wasn’t at all jealous) and Sora instead let his thoughts wander. 

As time crept on and Sora tried to get used to royal life, he often found himself wondering when, exactly, Prince Vanitas was planning on returning. How long could he keep this up? He didn’t really have anything to go back to, per se, but he felt like he was going to slip up sooner or later, and the fear ate at him, even if it had lessened significantly since the first week. What if Vanitas never returned at all? Would Sora simply carry on being the crown prince forever? Could he do that? Surely the king at least would notice, and that started another train of thought.

In the time Sora had been there, he hadn’t once seen or even heard anything of the king. He didn’t have family himself, but he would think that anyone would come running if their only family member had gotten hurt, and yet there was nothing. It made him wonder how close the king and the prince really were, and if Vanitas’ only living relative had been that distant his whole life.

“Hey, Riku,” he said, sitting up to look at Riku. “The king is my grandfather, right? How come I’ve never seen him?”

Riku's eyes stopped moving over the page he was reading, and Sora noticed his shoulders stiffen slightly. He wasn’t directly meeting Sora’s eyes when he replied.

“His Majesty prefers to live in one of the more… isolated palaces, so that would be why.”

“Still, wouldn’t he come to at least visit? We’re supposed to be family,” Sora pressed. He had figured out as much by himself, but having his suspicions confirmed made something uncomfortable tug at Sora’s heart. He thought of the vastness of the palace, the formal attitudes of the servants, and the prince’s infamous bad attitude, and felt like maybe a small piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.

“We did send word to him about what happened. He only sent back to keep it on the _‘down-low’_.”

He scoffed as he said it, and Sora got the feeling that perhaps he wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with the distance between grandfather and grandson. Riku had been the closest to Vanitas for the last two years, after all, and probably saw a lot more of how the prince truly felt about it than Sora could piece together on his own.

“I take it he’s not coming to see me, then,” he mumbled, torn between feeling bad for Prince Vanitas and feeling relieved that he wouldn’t risk making a blunder in front of the king himself.

“Don’t hold your breath for it, no,” Riku replied to his quiet assumption. There was tension, until Riku sighed, finally putting the book aside. “I’m sorry. Being part of the royal family always seemed… difficult on good days. I can’t imagine what it feels like now.”

Sora shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t really… _remember_ having a family,” (for once, not a lie), “so it’s fine, honestly. I don’t really know what there is to miss.”

He had expected to see a too familiar pitying look form on Riku’s handsome face, one that said “oh, poor little orphan Sora”, but instead he saw something bitter overtake him, pinching his eyebrows together.

“You’re not missing out on too much. Family isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.”

_Oh_ , Sora thought. He mulled this new tidbit of information over, turned it around in his head to try to see where it fit in the puzzle that was Riku. Then, he said,

“I think it can be. You just have to choose them yourself.” When Riku only stared at him, eyebrows raised high, he shrugged and continued. “When you don’t have any family, that’s the only choice you’ve got, but I don’t think it only applies there. I think anyone can choose their family. It’s the people who are supposed to be ‘home’, right? That you look at, and think, this is where I can leave my heart. People who you love, who love you in return. At least, that’s what I think…”

He trailed off at the end, realizing belatedly how he had not only started rambling, but also that most of it was cheesy and way too honest. A hot blush made its way up his cheeks and to his ears, his mind hyper aware of how Riku’s eyes were wide, how his mouth was slightly open, and he found that he had to look away before his poor embarrassed heart really killed him.

“Er… Sorry, that’s stupid, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s… It’s really beautiful. I never thought you would think something like that, Your Highness.”

Sora glanced back up, met Riku’s eyes for a moment, just long enough to see it shift into a thoughtful frown. He wanted to say something more, anything to make his embarrassment go away and for Riku’s eyes to stop burning him - or maybe that was just his blush…

Whatever he would have done next, he was saved by a knock on the door.

“Come in,” he called, and the door opened to reveal a timid looking, blonde girl. She was dressed as a servant, and Sora thought he had seen her around the palace a few times, but they had never directly interacted before.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Your Highness, but we have received message that the Duke of Twilight is on his way to visit.”

“What?” Riku burst out before Sora could respond. “Did the message say why?”

“It appears he wanted to give well wishes to His Highness, Sir Riku,” she answered, somewhat flustered. “I’m sorry, I don’t know more than that…”

Riku pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly tense. Sora shifted his focus back and forth between him and the now fidgeting girl for a bit, wondering if he should say something. He had no idea who this duke was, or why Riku seemed so agitated by it, though, so he wondered what he could even say. Just when he opened his mouth to at least break the silence, Riku spoke again.

“Thanks for the warning, Namine. Can you have the others prepare for it?” he asked as he stood up. The girl, Namine, nodded.

“Of course. I’ll take my leave now, then?”

She cast a glance at Sora and gave a brief, small smile. She was very pretty, he decided. Not in the way Riku was to him, but looking at her filled him with a sense of content. He made a mental note to try to talk to her next time he saw her.

After Namine left, he looked to Riku, who had slumped down slightly in his chair.

“So… Who’s this Duke person?” Sora asked eventually. He was surprised to receive a groan in reply.

“Someone I really don’t want near you when you can’t remember him,” he muttered. “Duke Xemnas is a relative of the king, and by extension you, and he’s… a handful, to say the least. I swear he’s always scheming something, and he never, ever stops talking.”

Sora had to muffle a laugh, shocked to hear Riku so frank and annoyed, especially with someone of higher status. The other definitely noticed, though, and sent him a slight glare.

“Usually we can agree about this, at least, but you’re… well.”

“Yeah, sorry. I wish I could join in on your trash talking, but I really don’t know anything about this guy.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Riku groaned out before sighing wearily, and this time Sora did burst out laughing, loud and long. When he was finally catching his breath again, he saw Riku smile at him, head shaking in exasperation. “Yeah, laugh it up. You’re the one who’s going to have to deal with him.”

“Wait, can I do that? I thought the king didn’t want people to find out about…”

“I know, but we can’t really refuse Duke Xemnas’ visit, either… Actually, the timing of this makes me worried. Could someone in here have let it leak?”

Riku was getting that concerned frown again, hand moving up to cover his mouth while he thought, but Sora only shrugged.

“Or he’s just here to visit a relative, right? We don’t know yet. Who knows, maybe this will go great?” he said with what was definitely a winning grin. He ignored the wilting look Riku sent him. Instead, he got up and moved over to Riku’s desk, perching on the side of it. “You just have to tell me more about this Xemnas guy and how I need to act, and it’s all good, right? What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Oh, those are really cursed words. You’re inviting trouble, you know,” Riku said, but Sora saw a grin was starting to tug at his lips too.

“Maybe, but I know you’ll be there to have my back.”

Sora didn’t know what gave him the confidence to act so familiar and to forge ahead with this idea. Perhaps he was just getting used to living as a prince, but the laugh he got out of his guard was worth it.

“Fine, you win,” Riku said. “We’ll see what happens. But you’ve got to pay attention to what I tell you. No napping because you got bored.”

“Deal!”

They spent the rest of the evening preparing, with Riku telling Sora all he knew about the Duke of Twilight. If it at some point devolved into a session of trash talking that was, quite frankly, an absolute delight to listen to, then that was between Riku, Sora and the books within the four walls of the library.

Even so, Sora could not possibly have predicted the storm that this visit would bring with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading, and please leave a comment if you can!! I love hearing people's thoughts on the story ; v ; <3
> 
> Hit me up on twitter: <https://twitter.com/KamikazeWorld>


	6. The Storm Arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I finished up what I needed for future chapters just before midnight, and I feel great about it, so I figured we could start 2021 with a brand new chapter for you guys to read~! I also want to take a moment to say that I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the support over the last year as I worked on this, and while I try to reply to every comment, rest assured that I at least read and love each and every one of you even if I don't get around to it. Here's a big cheer to a new, better year, and I hope to see all of your support in the future, too~! <333

Two days after they received the notice, Duke Xemnas finally arrived for his visit. Sora had been told at great length how pretentious the duke was, and how he never, ever stopped talking, but it was still a shock to meet someone who so very obviously exaggerated his own politeness. Sora wasn’t always the sharpest tool in the shed, as many people had told him while growing up, but even he could feel the smugness radiating from beneath every word and action.

“Prince Vanitas,” he greeted with a bow, hand on his chest and everything. Which Sora supposed actually was the proper way to greet royalty, but this guy made it look wrong, somehow. “It is a pleasure to meet you again, Your Highness. I hope you have been faring well since we last spoke.”

“Yes, well… You could’ve given a bit more warning,” Sora said with a scoff. He threw a quick glance at Riku, who gave him a subtle nod, making the anxious knot in his chest lessen at least a little.

Riku had given him plenty of instructions for how to behave in front of their guests to keep up appearances, but Sora was still nervous. He wasn’t anything like the real prince, from speech and personality to manners and behavior, and he was so scared he’d make a fool of himself and, by extension, the crown prince of the kingdom. But this had been his idea, and he would not let Riku down. They simply needed to deal with Duke Xemnas as long as was necessary and then he could excuse himself citing he wasn’t feeling well. It would be fine, right?

“My deepest apologies for any intrusion. I heard you had fallen ill and simply had to check up on my dear relative. Surely that much can be forgiven?”

Duke Xemnas spoke with a deep, velvety voice that made Sora vaguely uncomfortable and entranced all at once. He was about to reply, when Riku took a step forward, placing him more directly next to Sora.

“Pardon my intrusion, Duke Xemnas, but may I ask who you heard that from?” he asked. Sora could see him frowning when he looked up at him.

“Come now, there is no need for suspicion. I have my ears and eyes, just as you have yours, I’m sure. How else to know what to keep His Highness safe from?” Xemnas asked, slight smirk twisting his lips, and Riku’s frown deepened. There was a moment of tension, before Riku gave a slight bow and stepped back to his place slightly behind the throne again.

“So you’ve visited, and I’m fine” Sora said, trying to not dwell on how he had liked it much better when Riku was clearly within sight, instead focusing on imitating how Vanitas might have spoken. “Was that all?”

“You are as welcoming as always, I see,” Xemnas commented with a deep chuckle. “I had in fact planned to stay for a few days, as the trip from Twilight’s domain is a bit far. We wish not to impose on His Highness, of course, but no doubt there is room in this grand palace for one measly duke and his handful of servants.”

He gave Sora a smile that was perfectly pleasant, but it made something cold tickle the base of his spine nonetheless. Riku had been right when he said the guy was slimy. He looked to Riku, unsure of whether he should refuse the duke or not, but whatever Riku tried to convey back without fully looking at him, Sora couldn’t make it out. He swallowed, tried to think of the pros and cons.

“Uhh… I suppose that’s alright, if it’s just for a day or two,” he landed on, the thought still only half formed as he spoke it, and regret swept over him the moment it left his mouth. How was he supposed to perform like everything was normal with the prince with this guy here?!

Before him, Xemnas arched an eyebrow, and he noticed Riku move next to him.

“Your Highness--” he started, but Xemnas spoke over him.

“Our most humble thank you, Prince Vanitas,” he said with another bow, hand once more on his chest. “We shall not keep you busy too long. I will take my servants and have yours bring my things to my room, as I am sure you will want us out of your hair.”

He turned and signalled for two people near the wall that Sora only now had the presence of mind to pay proper attention to. One was a tall man with blue hair tied behind him, scars covering his face like none Sora had ever seen from duels nor work accidents, and he moved close to Xemnas as the duke whispered something to him. The other was a petite girl, similar in height to Namine, but her hair was the color of charcoal and she looked resolutely forward, not meeting anyone’s eyes or even seeming to acknowledge their existence. He watched them take their leave, and the moment the grand doors closed behind them with an echo, Sora instantly deflated.

“That was exhausting,” he muttered.

“You barely met with him for fifteen minutes,” Riku pointed out, finally stepping back into his field of vision. “You weren’t supposed to actually invite him.”

“Yeah, but… What if I told him no and it made things awkward? Isn’t that stuff important for… I don’t know, political reasons?”

Sora looked up at Riku, trying for his best expression between confused and innocent, and Riku sighed.

“I guess it can’t be helped now. We’ll figure it out,” he said, and Sora felt himself smile triumphantly. He hadn’t made Riku mad after all!

“We can handle it,” he said, thumping his chest. “If I need to stay out of the way so he doesn’t suspect anything, we could always go out riding again, right?”

“Do I need to remind you - _again_ \- that Master Aqua wants you for another lesson tomorrow?” Riku asked back, eyebrow raised and a smirk playing on his lips. Sora groaned and slouched down even further in the throne.

“I still don’t see why I have to train if you’re there, Riku. I mean, look at your muscles! You’re plenty strong for both of us.”

To emphasize, he reached out and poked his guard’s stomach muscles, managing to pull a startled laugh from him as he squirmed away. _Interesting._

“I already told you, it’s important for you to fend for yourself if I can’t be there.”

“I gueeeess,” Sora said with a groan. More to himself, he muttered, “I wish you could just stay with me always.”

“What was that?”

“Uh… Nothing!” He jumped up from the throne and stretched his arms over his head. “So what do we do now?” he asked instead.

He looked on as Riku thought, noting the way his eyebrows creased to create a little wrinkle between them when he did.

“To begin with, I’d like to find out who told Duke Xemnas that you got hurt. I don’t have the authority to question or suspect him openly, but I really don’t like that he got news of it at all. I bet he’s scheming something and wanted to see for himself if there was an opening.”

“We really can’t trust him, then?”

Sora had very much gotten the impression that it would be best to not trust Xemnas, but he still wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt, always reminded every time he had wished people hadn’t made snap judgement about him based on his appearances and homelessness when mistrust reared its head. Riku shook his head, though.

“He’s an absolute snake,” he said. “He wears so many layers of masks that no one really knows for sure what he’s thinking or feeling. I think even the king himself might be wary of him.”

They started walking back towards Sora’s-- or rather, the prince’s bedroom as they spoke. Sora quickly thanked the servant opening the door for them when they exited the throne room, then turned his attention back to Riku.

“How can he still be a duke if the king doesn’t trust him? That’s kind of weird,” he pointed out, and Riku gave him a sidelong glance in turn, which made Sora feel like he might have said the wrong thing.

“It’s his birth right. He would only lose it if he openly commits treason,” Riku explained. “The king knows not to start in-fighting, or the whole kingdom would crumble.”

“Oh…”

Just when Sora thought he had gotten used to the life of royals and how it worked, there seemed to always be a new curveball to trip him up. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t pay attention to the upper class, honestly. He was usually too occupied with trying to stay alive and finding somewhere dry to sleep for the night. A part of him might have even started growing bitter about it; how the royals lived in such abundance while the people they should have cared for could end up starving their whole lives. That, somehow, these people got all needs taken care of because they were born to the right families. How was that fair? He hoped, wherever Prince Vanitas was, that he was seeing the world beyond the rich palace for what it was, and that maybe it would be enough to make something change.

“Your Highness?” Riku asked, startling him out of his thoughts. He blinked questioningly at the guard, who looked like he was biting back a laugh. “You stopped talking. I figured you got lost somewhere in there,” he said with a poke to Sora’s forehead.

“Hey!” He swatted at the hand, cursing that the heat in his face meant he was blushing again. It didn’t help that Riku stopped holding that laugh back as he did. “Rude,” he muttered, trying to ignore how that set off another wave of laughter from his companion.

Feeling a little offended (and, a bit more honestly, insecure), Sora decided to retaliate. Just as Riku had poked his forehead, Sora reached out to poke at Riku’s ribs like he had earlier, which cut his laughter off sharply with a high pitched yelp. For a moment, they both stood still, staring at each other with wide eyes; Sora’s with awe, and Riku’s with mild fear. Slowly, a grin spread on Sora’s face, mirrored as increasing dread on Riku’s own while Sora’s fingers raised and wiggled threateningly. Between one second and the next, Sora jumped to tickle Riku, who quickly dodged out of range, and the two were suddenly down the halls faster than was probably appropriate, considering the very expensive decorations that lined each of them.

Between laughing, shouting, and probably scaring the daylight out of several poor servants along the way, Sora almost caught Riku twice before he ducked into what appeared to be a large dining hall. Riku tried to use the long table as a buffer between them, clearly looking for an opening to turn the situation around on Sora. Unlucky for him, though, Sora had no qualms of jumping over the table and effectively surprising Riku enough that he could be caught. Somehow, this stunt sent them both sprawling on the floor, Sora on top of Riku, hands tickling his sides and laughing loudly at the howling sounds he managed to get out of the other. It was such a magical sight, being able to make Riku let his guard down this much, that he was almost sad to stop when Riku admitted defeat.

They stayed still for a moment, letting their laughter die down and their heavy breathing return to normal. Riku moved to swipe his pale hair out of his eyes, which pinned Sora in place when they met his own. He was grinning up at Sora, wide and unguarded and _beautiful_ , and Sora felt breathless for an entirely different reason.

“You’re going to kill me for saying this when you get your memories back,” Riku said, “but…” He stopped and chewed slightly at his bottom lip, which drew Sora’s to them unbidden, before he quickly looked back at turquoise eyes. “Is it bad that I almost don’t want you to? I like the way you are now.”

“Yeah?” Sora whispered. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest and he clutched at the fabric of Riku’s shirt, willing it to calm down, to stay, lest it fled its cage and into Riku’s hands. “Maybe…” he tried, swallowed. “Maybe I don’t want to change back either.”

They looked at each other, their words hanging in the air between them, and Riku was just opening his mouth to say something, when--

“A-hem.”

Both their heads whipped around, seeing Xemnas with his blue haired servant standing near the doorway. He was regarding them with a raised eyebrow, but nothing in his face revealed what he felt. Sora’s heart was hammering in an entirely different, way less pleasant way now, dread moving through him as he became painfully aware of the fact he was actually more or less _straddling_ Riku, hands on his chest, on the goddamn dining room floor.

“I hope I am not… interrupting anything,” Xemnas’ velvety voice said. Sora quickly jumped to his feet and shook his head.

“No no, you’re not-- it wasn’t-- uh…” he stumbled, cursing himself more with each word tumbling out of his mouth, wishing he could rein them back in again and not further embarrass himself. Or Riku, for that matter, who stood up and dusted himself off as well, and regarded Xemnas coolly.

“Nothing to interrupt, Duke Xemnas. Just a bit of an accident.”

The words stung, even if they were true. Maybe _because_ they were true. What had he been thinking, putting Riku in that situation? He was supposed to be protecting the prince, and that wasn’t even _Sora_. What if Riku lost his job because of him? What if--

“Well then,” Xemnas cut through his spiralling thoughts. “I had simply wished to find His Highness to see if he wanted to have dinner together? It is, after all, such a rare occurrence for us to get together, and it would delight me to have your company.”

Sora blinked. He glanced at Riku, then quickly away again, too embarrassed to risk eye contact. “Uhh, sure?” he said, trying for a smile. Xemnas twisted his lips into a small one as well, though the sight of it wasn’t as friendly as it probably was supposed to be.

“Excellent. I shall see you at dinner time, then. I look forward to seeing what fantastic food your chefs will cook up for us.”

Xemnas once again bowed with a hand on his chest as a way of excusing himself, his blue haired servant bowing even lower before following him out.

When Sora and Riku were alone once more, Sora cleared his throat.

“I shouldn’t have said yes, should I?”

“No,” Riku said. “You really shouldn’t have.”

“Damn it. I’m so sorry, Riku,” he nearly whined, burying his face in his hands. He was surprised to feel a warm, strong hand on his shoulder, but still too mortified to leave the safety of his make-shift hiding place.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s… Let’s get you back to your room to get you freshened up before the dinner, alright? We can go over a plan once we’re there.”

Despite the reassurance and feeling like he could fly just minutes earlier, Sora now felt like a stone had lodged itself in his gut.

There was no way this was going to go well… was there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! My creativity thrives from validation so please leave a comment if you liked it~!
> 
> Yell with me about kh over at <https://twitter.com/KamikazeWorld>


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